I finally booked our tickets for September. Had been looking for deals for quite a while but ended up using our miles. I was able to book early September using Standard Northwest rewards (50,000 miles from US to Europe). Since fares from this little midwest city where I live refused to go below 700$, I thought it might be best to use our miles.

Now I need some advice from all of you. My husband and I will have 6 nights in Europe. We fly in and out of Amsterdam. We are booked on Continental and are being routed through Houston. I tried to book an open jaw with the return from Brussels instead of Amsterdam, but that was not available. How should I split up the nights? 3 nights in AMS and 3 in Brussels? 4 and 2 ? We have been to London and Paris on an earlier trip.

Please give me your suggestions. Should I be looking at some other city rather than Brussels? I love squares and have been thinking about Brussels for a while. Also if you have any suggestion on what to do in Amsterdam?
My husband is a little disappointed that although we are finally making it to Amsterdam, it is not during tulip-time. (He's into photography big time). I've been trying to convince him that there's a lot more to Amsterdam than just tulips (Although I would have ideally wanted our first trip to Amsterdam in spring).

Any advice/suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks!!!

Hi L,

I suggest 2 Amsterdam, 2 Brussels (with a day in Bruges), 2 Amsterdam.

lifetravel -

What are you interested in seeing other than the Grand Place?

If I had 6 nights I would spend 2-3 nights in Brugge with a day trip to Brussels (1 hour on the train), and 3-4 nights in Amsterdam.

I would take the train to Brugge from Schiphol for the first part of the journey, then finish up the trip in Amsterdam so I would be close to Schiphol to fly home.

You could even stop at Antwerp, or Rotterdam, or Delft for a quick look around on your travel from Belgium back to Amsterdam.

If we had an idea of what your interests are, ie. museums, historical sights, shopping, eating, drinking, it might help with the advice. Peace.

Robyn

Hi! I have not yet been to Europe but we are planning a trip next spring. We plan to visit Amsterdam and Paris. I wanted to stop in Bruges overnight because it looks gorgeous. If you like at the board you will see that many people love it. It is a well preserved small city (compared to A-dam and Brussels). Many guidebooks say that so many people go during the day that you can really get a better sense of the city at night. I would like to stay one night but other people stay several nights and really enjoy it. It might be a nice contrast to bustling Amsterdam.

I agree with four in Amsterdam as there is much more to see there than in Brussels!

However, doing 2 + 2 + 2 is overly costly and quite frankly, ridiculous - you'd have to change hotel in Amsterdam only to return again in 2 days time, madness. Where's the logic there?

Can I ask why you decide to go to Amsterdam, when there are so many more worthwhile places to visit in Europe?

I almost agree with ira. The exception is spend a day of his Brussels suggestion in Antwerp. As for Brussels or Brugge - read a book or flip a coin.

For photography, your husband should select a good lens. The squares in these cities are expansive but not amenable to normal 50mm lenses. I suggest a +/- 25mm and/or architechtural lens to get the whole scene. I usually use a 35-105 zoom lens. He would certainly know best about his preferences since I am an amateur.

If I was you I would camp in Amsterdam for the whole period (actually, I would prefer Haarlem or Leiden) and day/night trip to Brussels and Antwerp. All that moving around in your itinerary is a waste of time and energy and good karma.

Thanks for all the responses.

Our interests:
Mine -> squares, outdoor scene in Europe. Cafes, walking tours ...
His -> photography (we went looking for and actually bought a camera stand in Paris since we had not carried the one we had. He did not want to click the Eiffel Tower without a stand. He's an amateur too ....)


Why Amsterdam? Well.... It was always on my list of places to go to. This was the only city I could get on standard award miles. I have been wanting to go to Italy for a long time but we have just 6 or 7 days. Italy would have been expensive since we have an India trip coming up in December. Besides I cannot attempt to cover Italy or even Souther Italy or Nothern/Central Italy in 6 or 7 days.

Anything that we should not miss in Amsterdam? Should we drive on our day trips or take the train?

Thanks in advance.

I agree with the suggestion to go to Brugge first. The first day is usually somewhat less productive due to being tired so spend it on the train. I'd spend two nights in Brugge. On the way back to Amsterdam I'd stop for about 2 hours in Brussels to see the Grand Place (not much else was very interesting to me at least). I'd spend the next 4 nights in Amsterdam but take a day trip or two to Haarlem and or Delft.

While in Amsterdam, I would recommend the Amsterdam Pass, which covers most museums (not the Anne Frank), two canal cruises (take one by day, one by night), and travel on the bus/trams. Last year it cost 36 Euro for a 2 day pass - well worth the money. You can pick it up at the VVV, directly across from Centraal Station, or in the Leidesplein.

Sights worth seeing, which we fit into our 2 days, and covered by the pass, included the Amstelkring, Oude Kerk, Houseboat Museum, Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, Rembrandthouse, Resistance Museum, Amsterdam Historisch Museum and the two canal cruises. We also went to the Theatremuseum (which was covered) but we weren't impressed. We also did the Anne Frank House, which was 6.50 Euro, and opened until 21:00, so I would recommend doing it later in the day to avoid crowds. In the evening, a stroll through the Red Light District is always fun, and if you have the courage, check out the Sex Museum, hokey but yet provocative, worth the 2 Euros just to say you did it.

There will be SO MANY photo opportunities for your husband, - all the beautiful canal views and roof gables and the people - if he wants pictures of flowers, be sure to stop by the Bloemen Market on the Singel.

In my opinion, one of the prettiest market squares in the Netherlands is in Delft, with the Niewe Kerk on one end and the Stadhuis on the other. (I also like Gouda's market square, with their beautiful stadhuis.) Come to think of it, Haarlem's square ain't so bad either.

Delft, Gouda, Leiden, Utrecht, Rotterdam and Haarlem are all easy day trips from Amsterdam via the train. You could easily do two towns in a day trip (maybe even three, depending which towns you selected). Since parking is such a problem in Amsterdam, I would definately recommend you avoid renting a car. We have always found the BeNeLux rail system to be very efficient. You can check rail schedules at:

www.ns.nl

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

Have fun planning your trip, any other questions, just ask. Peace.

Robyn

Thanks a lot for your responses. I'm sure I'll post more messages as I advance in the planning phase of this trip. Your posts have given me a good idea of how our times should be divided and what sights/places we need to focus on.

Thanks again

Hi life,

Have you looked at the miniguide to AMST at www.fodors.com?

Regarding photography in Amsterdam, rumor has it that photos in the red light district are not welcomed by the sex workers. There are reports of cameras being snatched and thrown in the canal. Be cautious and discreet.

thanks for the tip ira and also for the photography tip hopscotch. It would be a pity to have our camara snatched. I'll check out the guide on Fodors.

Regarding photos in the red light district in Amsterdam. I took plenty, I was just very careful not to shoot any of the windows (that the prostitutes sit in). There is much beautiful architecture, nice canals, etc, in that area and I wanted to shoot them and did with no problems. In fact, behind the Oude Kirke (church) there was a row of five windows, each with a prostitute sitting in it (this was at 11:00am). I stook right next to it and shot the church. But it was obvious I was not shooting them.

Just be very careful what is in your shot. I also did not use my main camera (which is larger than a point and shoot and doesn't fit in a pocket - that one I kept put away in my bag while I was in that area), but just a small one and I put it in my pocket between shots. The red light district is not sleazy like it is in many cities, at least not during the daytime.